Principal's News
Dear Parents/Carers,
Well we are nearly there. A full term week term uninterrupted by lockdowns and remote learning. Thank goodness for small mercies! The term has taken a toll on staff though with an increasing number succumbing as the term has worn on. Thankfully no serious illness yet. A very big thank you to staff, students and to parents who have supported the testing program as together we try to minimise the impact of the pandemic on the life of our school
RECONCILIATION CEREMONIES Congratulations to all children involved in last week’s Reconciliation ceremonies. Thank you to parents and carers, to Fr Michael and his fellow priests for being so accommodating and the staff from both St Mary’s Primary school and Sacred Heart for assisting.
END OF TERM ARRANGEMENTS Term 1 will finish on Friday April 8th at 2:25pm.
The children may wear Casual Clothes to school on this day, although we are asking for a gold coin donation to be used to support the work of Caritas in Ukraine.
Children will receive a hotdog and a drink for lunch on this day as well.
Parents have already been charged for the cost of this lunch in their levies so there is no need to send money for lunch next week. There will be no school canteen on this day.
However, the funds raised through the hotdog days are used to offset the cost of the Grade 6 camp.
School will resume on TUESDAY April 26th, the day after the ANZAC DAY Public holiday.
COVID-19 continues to rumble along in our community and as we mix more especially at large events I expect the case numbers will continue. All staff and students in Primary schools in Victoria are required to take 2 Rapid Antigen Tests per week as an important strategy for keeping our schools open.
The following advice still applies:
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1. Parents/carers should complete the RA Test portal if a student tests positive to COVID-19 (via a PCR or rapid antigen test). Parents/carers should inform the school by phone or email if a student tests positive
2. Students who report a positive result must isolate for seven days and not attend school during that period.
3. Where a student is a household contact of a positive case (that is, they have spent more than four hours with someone who has COVID-19 inside a house, accommodation, or care facility) they must inform the school and isolate for seven days and not attend school during that period.
HOWEVER if a second person from the same household tests positive later in the week (e.g. Dad on Sunday, then Mum on Wednesday) the student’s isolation DOES NOT start again. That student should complete a R.A.T. 6 days after the first known infection and if there is a negative result the student can still resume school on Day 8.
Furthermore, IF a student has had Covid-19 and then completed their 7 days of isolation, they are then exempt from completing R.A. Tests for 8 weeks.